The 5 Best Purple Shampoos for Blonde Hair

Have you heard of purple shampoo for blonde hair? You might also see it as silver shampoo or violet shampoo. Purple shampoo is a hair cleansing product which is designed to remove those harsh yellow tones which sometimes appear in dyed blonde hair or white hair.

Purple shampoo shouldn’t be used every day but, used in conjunction with a good conditioner and as part of a shampoo and conditioning routine, it can do wonders for your hair.

Why does blonde hair turn yellow?

There are a few different reasons why your hair can turn yellow. You know the shade I’m talking about: bright, brassy and almost egg-yolk coloured. For those of you who are a little older or with greying or white, yellow comes from the loss of hair pigment. It can also come from external factors around you such as shampoo buildup, chemicals from the products you use on your hair and even pollution in the air.

Swimmers are particularly prone to yellowing hair. This is because chlorine and mineral deposits in the water can strip your hair of pigment. If you are a keen swimmer, I’d recommend using a daily shampoo which is designed for you as it will really help protect your hair.

If you dye your hair blonde, especially those of you with bleach blonde and platinum shades, chances are you’ve experienced this yellowing too. This is because bleaching lightens your hair by actually removing its pigments. If you’re trying to reach a platinum blonde from a natural dark shade it’s almost impossible to achieve without causing real damage to your hair and you may well find your hair turns orange and yellow before turning almost white. I wouldn’t recommend it myself.

If you’re keen to lighten your hair and fix brassy yellows there are several natural options to try before turning back to the bleach. These are going to help protect your hair from further damage. Using a color enhancing shampoo or purple shampoo for blonde hair is one of them.

How Do You Use Purple Shampoo?

Firstly, heed my advice and do not overuse purple shampoos as they are much stronger than most shampoos. Think of them as more of a hair treatment to use in between your usual shampoo and conditioner.

Removing brassy hair is a slow process so do not expect to see results immediately. Start with a once a week wash and monitor your results. You can move up to two or perhaps at max, three times a week. It’s a color preserve product and works by adding a small amount of purple (or sometimes silver) pigment to your hair. This cuts out those annoying brassy red and yellow tones and gives your hair a glossy bright blonde appearance by highlighting your hair’s blue undertones. Don’t be scared, your hair is not going to to turn blue or purple!

It’s important not to leave purple shampoo in your hair for too long and this is really important for those of you with very light blonde hair. Bleached and heavily colored hair is likely to be more porous and will soak up the purple pigments much more quickly than non-bleached hair. Use the shampoo in the normal way but once frothed to a lather, rinse off within 5 minutes.

Purple shampoo is designed to change your hair tone and its ingredients can easily dry your hair out. Therefore, you must always follow it with a rich moisturizing conditioner. You can get toning conditioners too but honestly, unless you’ve got really orange tones, I would stick to the shampoo only. Just follow it with a normal conditioner for your hair type.

What Happens If You Overuse Purple Shampoo?

I cannot stress enough how important it is that you don’t use purple shampoo as a daily fixer. It will sort your brassy tones but if overused, you’re risking the health of your hair so take it slow.

If you’ve just used a purple shampoo and left it on your hair for too long, it’s not too much of a problem however! Immediately re-wash your hair with your regular shampoo and it should wash away the purple pigments before they lighten your hair too much.

There is plenty of choice when it comes to choosing a purple shampoo for blonde hair. When you’re at the store, look out for it with these names: toning shampoo, silver shampoo, violet shampoo. The bottle may also say its for bleached or highlighted hair too.

My own hair is light blonde and I’ve tried and tested plenty of these products. Here are my top 5 recommendations:

Best For Toning Highlighted Hair: Marc Daniels Professional Purple Shampoo For Blonde Hair

This shampoo from Marc Daniels contains natural oils from the Australian blue cypress tree. Just like purple, blue pigment is good for blonde and highlighted hair. The blue cypress oil helps repair color treated hair so this one is a good option for damaged hair. It’s also paraben-free.

The instructions suggest that you wash and rinse your hair with the shampoo twice. I would start with a single wash and see if you feel like you need it. Over time your hair will be brighter and those annoying brassy tones in your highlights will fade away. Grab the shampoo with it’s matching conditioner set here.

You’ll have heard of TIGI’s Bed Head line I’m sure! This one (from their Dumb Blonde range) has some really impressive results. My customers have reported almost instant results and everyone I’ve spoken to who’s used it has commented on how well it lifted yellow and left their hair lightened.

For very platinum blondes, try this shampoo on dry hair and leave for a few minutes before rinsing. Do not leave too much longer than this as your hair may take on a lavender or slightly violet hue. Unless you like this of course!

The pump bottle is easy to use and it smells delicious. Use alongside a moisturizing conditioner and you’ll find brassy yellow tones and frizz are a thing of the past. Purchase it on Amazon here.

Best For Silver Hair: Clairol Professional Shimmer Lights Shampoo

Whilst some people may not like the heavily perfumed smell of this one, Clairol’s shimmer lights shampoo is very good on silver and ash-blonde hair. It’s protein enriched and works well at getting rid of that egg-yolk yellow common in ash blonde and silvery hair.

This is a particularly vibrant purple shampoo which works very well even in small amounts. As a result, it should be used with caution. I recommend using this once a week only. Please also ensure you’re rinsing it after no more than 5-6 minutes on your hair. Follow it up with a moisturizing conditioner. Ignoring my advice could leave you at risk of drying out your hair follicles leaving them prone to damage and you could also end up with a lavender sheen! Purchase it here.

Best Cheap & Effective: John Frieda Blonde Restoring Shampoo

The John Frieda ‘color renew’ range is great. There are plenty of options for different hair colors but here I’ve chosen the blonde restoring shampoo. They are great all round performers. This one is also the cheapest on my list. A good value, low cost option for those of you on a budget.

After just two or three washes you should start to notice the lavender oil in this shampoo neutralize brassy tones reduce. It also has a special ‘optical brightener’ formula which absorbs UV and helps keep your hair feeling healthy and shiny.

An all round performer, I’d recommend buying a bottle of this shampoo if you’re a first-timer using purple shampoo and/or if you’re on a budget.

Sulfates are a detergent and foaming agent. Usually they’re added to shampoo to give it a rich bubbly lather. For most of us, they don’t cause an issue but if you have a sensitive scalp or damaged hair, they can be problematic.

This sulfate and paraben free violet shampoo from Sexy Hair contains extracts of Chamomile to brighten blondes, Honey to moisturize and quinoa for strength. My customers have reported back on how soft and healthy it left their hair.

As far as purple shampoos go, this is very gentle thanks to it’s natural ingredients. You’ll still need to pair it with a deep conditioner but it’s gentler than some of the others on this list. Grab a bottle for yourself.

Eliminate Brassy Tones With A Purple Shampoo Today

Although these 5 purple shampoos differ to one another, they are all designed to brighten and lighten your hair. When used properly, they eliminate unattractive yellow orange tones and leave your locks shiny, bright and natural.Choose the shampoo which best suits your needs and start to include it into your hair washing routine. Remember to condition thoroughly after each use. Within a few washes you’ll start to see changes in your hair and without that expensive salon trip!

From the author:

My name is Amanda Cooper, and I’ve spent the last seven years of my life as a stylist in Orange County, California helping women like you feel confident about their hair. One of the most important parts of maintaining beautiful hair is using great hair products.
That’s why I’m excited to tell you that there are great shampoos and conditions for YOUR hair. I’ve helped hundreds of women find the perfect hair products for them, and I can help you, too.
It’s easy… and I’ll be here to guide you every step of the way.